Bolivia is in the central zone of South America, between 57°26'–69°38'W and 9°38'–22°53'S. With an area of 424,164 sq. miles (1,098,581 sq. kilometers), Bolivia is the world's 28th-largest country, and the fifth largest country in South America, extending from the Central Andes through part of the Gran Chaco, Pantanal and as far as the Amazon. The geographic center of the country is the so-called Puerto Estrella ("Star Port") on the Río Grande, in Ñuflo de Chávez Province, Santa Cruz Department.
The geography of the country exhibits a great variety of terrain and climates. Bolivia has a high level of biodiversity, considered one of the greatest in the world, as well as several ecoregions with ecological sub-units such as the Altiplano, tropical rainforests (including Amazon rainforest), dry valleys, and the Chiquitania, which is a tropical savanna. These areas feature enormous variations in altitude, from an elevation of 21,463 ft (6,542 m) above sea level in Nevado Sajama to nearly 230 ft (70 m) along the Paraguay River. Although a country of great geographic diversity, Bolivia has remained a landlocked country since the War of the Pacific. Puerto Suárez, San Matías, and Puerto Quijarro are in the Bolivian Pantanal.
The Andean region in the southwest spans 28% of the national territory, extending over 118,766 sq. miles (307,603 sq. kilometres). This area is located above 9,800 ft (3,000 m) altitude and is located between two big Andean chains, the Cordillera Occidental ("Western Range") and the Cordillera Central ("Central Range"), with some of the highest spots in the Americas such as the Nevado Sajama, with an altitude of 21,463 ft (6,542 m), and the Illimani, at 21,201 ft (6,462 m). Also located in the Cordillera Central is Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America; the lake is shared with Peru. Also, in this region are the Altiplano and the Salar de Uyuni, which is the largest salt flat in the world and an important source of lithium.
The geography of the country exhibits a great variety of terrain and climates. Bolivia has a high level of biodiversity, considered one of the greatest in the world, as well as several ecoregions with ecological sub-units such as the Altiplano, tropical rainforests (including Amazon rainforest), dry valleys, and the Chiquitania, which is a tropical savanna. These areas feature enormous variations in altitude, from an elevation of 21,463 ft (6,542 m) above sea level in Nevado Sajama to nearly 230 ft (70 m) along the Paraguay River. Although a country of great geographic diversity, Bolivia has remained a landlocked country since the War of the Pacific. Puerto Suárez, San Matías, and Puerto Quijarro are in the Bolivian Pantanal.
The Andean region in the southwest spans 28% of the national territory, extending over 118,766 sq. miles (307,603 sq. kilometres). This area is located above 9,800 ft (3,000 m) altitude and is located between two big Andean chains, the Cordillera Occidental ("Western Range") and the Cordillera Central ("Central Range"), with some of the highest spots in the Americas such as the Nevado Sajama, with an altitude of 21,463 ft (6,542 m), and the Illimani, at 21,201 ft (6,462 m). Also located in the Cordillera Central is Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America; the lake is shared with Peru. Also, in this region are the Altiplano and the Salar de Uyuni, which is the largest salt flat in the world and an important source of lithium.
See our Bolivia Peak Flags below!